Pharmacies Struggle as Cold and Flu Meds Run Dry
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies has raised the alarm over shortages of essential over-the-counter meds. Throat lozenges, cough mixtures, and some painkillers are disappearing from shelves amid soaring demand.
Both branded and generic treatments for seasonal illnesses are in short supply. Pharmacists are “struggling to obtain the very basic, most common cold and flu medicine,” warned CEO Leyla Hannbeck.
Flu and COVID-19 Rampage Across the UK
The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses continue to circulate at “high levels”. Officials are urging sick adults to wear face masks and parents to keep feverish children home from school.
Ambulance Crews Told to Conserve Oxygen Amid Rising Demand
Ambulance services face a race against time as oxygen supplies dwindle due to unprecedented numbers of patients with respiratory conditions.
East of England Ambulance Service recently received a delivery of small oxygen cylinders but urged staff to “take sensible steps” to conserve their supplies. In December, the trust revealed its oxygen suppliers were unable to meet orders on time.
Many ambulances carry several small oxygen cylinders, but stocks drop fast if patients are not quickly transferred to A&E. Despite no overall shortage, NHS sources warn there’s a serious strain on portable oxygen for patients battling flu and COVID.
“Local areas are using the existing supply as efficiently as possible, while suppliers are working with the NHS to help meet increased demand – anyone needing care should not hesitate to contact the NHS as they normally would,” an NHS spokesperson said.
Field Hospitals on the Table as Hospitals Burst at the Seams
NHS bosses in Luton, Bedford, Milton Keynes" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Milton Keynes, and Dunstable are preparing for the worst. Sarah Whiteman, chief medical director of the regional Integrated Care Board, has sounded the alarm on patient overflow.
In an email obtained by The Sunday Times, Dr Whiteman called it a “call to arms,” urging staff to sign temporary contracts and help in emergency rooms. She confirmed tents on hospital grounds could be used as makeshift “field hospitals” to manage the surge, although deployment is not yet imminent.
Hospitals in the region are packed, with one in every eight beds across England now occupied by patients with COVID or flu symptoms, stretching the NHS to breaking point.
